Close To Me
by Hope1864
Summary: The 1800s. 'Rape and marital rape have no legal place in courts and many women live with domestic abuse.' Elena live with her Aunt Isobel who's arranged a marriage for her. Her childhood friend, Damon, knows what needs to be done. Flee or stay in hell, there's no other choice. DARK, ABUSIVE, SEXUAL; M-RATED for a reason further ahead. AU/AH.


The clearing was one of the secret places they shared. They'd found it eight years ago and it had automatically become their place. It was also one of the most beautiful places Elena had ever seen – maybe because she'd never travelled out of town before and didn't have much else to compare it with.

"Miss Gilbert."

She turned around and met the blue orbs of Damon Salvatore.

The manwhore, the friend, the protector, the brother, the fighter. There was a lot more to Damon Salvatore than anybody might think.

He was beyond cocky, superior and arrogant but also very charming. He had a body that any man would kill for to have. He had a way with words that made every woman turn red and offer to share his bed. Damon had a way of moving through a room with stance, style, power and elegance. He was the firstborn of Elizabeth and Giuseppe Salvatore.

The Salvatore's were one of the founding families and though they didn't have much money, they still managed to be a part of the town's political elite and attended most of the social events as if they'd always lived with luxury.

Damon had his dark sides. He had sides she'd never seen – just like everybody else – but still, she trusted him more than anyone else.

"Mr. Salvatore." Elena curtsied in her blue dress.

Her hair was accompanied by a beautiful diadem that matched the color of her clothing. Her dark hair was cascading beautifully down her shoulders, framing her face. She looked like a porcelain doll and was often eyed by the male population.

"You're wearing my favorite color." He stated, smirking lightly, leaning against one of the trees.

"Do you like it?" She blushed and smiled softly at him as she closed the gap between their bodies, stopping right in front of him. She gazed up at him, already knowing his answer to her question.

"Oh, you know I do." He replied as he pulled her close to him, letting his arms embrace the body of the young woman he would always care about and without a doubt, always protect with his own life.

She breathed into the crook of his neck, relaxing in his arms, his cologne finding it's way to her nose. Everything was so easy with him. Breathing, smiling, even living became so much easier whenever she was in his line of sight.

There was something special about them. Something special about the bond they shared.

"Damon." She whispered against his skin.

He was stroking his hands up and down her back, soothing her worried thoughts. He was probably the only one who knew when something stirred inside her, he could see right through her and it scared her sometimes. They were closer than friends should be and always had been – the society of Mystic Falls didn't understand how Isobel could let her niece be friends with a young man that wasn't engaged to her.

However, Damon and Elena had never been romantically involved with eachother – he was her best friend, he knew everything about her and he'd been the one to help her go through her parents death's. She loved him unconditionally but she'd never said it out loud. He was a part of her and she would, without a doubt marry him if that meant keeping him with her forever. The thought of marrying a man that her Aunt had picked for her, caused her to feel queasy.

She looked up at him through her thick eyelashes. Brown met blue.

"She's found someone who would like to court me. A man who wants me to be his wife."

The words were hard to pronounce and her voice wavered as she told him, her heart aching as his body froze underneath her hands that were currently resting on his chest. She was able to feel his heart beating under her hands.

"Do you know who he is?" He started stroking her back once again, knowing she needed him to comfort her.

"The Lockwood's oldest son." She murmured quietly, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Damon's arms momentarily tensed around her petite frame. The thought of another man touching her was unsettling and dark thoughts crossed his mind. Elena wanted true love – the kind of love that only existed in fairytales.

Damon knew with certainty that Mason would never be able to give her an ounce of that fairytale even if he tried.

The man had attended a lot of different gatherings and Damon had seen him rumble from woman to woman. Mason would take all of her innocence away, he would expect her to give him an heir the moment she'd been forced to marry him, he would force himself inside of her body, leaving bruises, hurting her female parts, causing her to bleed badly and worst of all – Mason would do it over and over again, without Elena's consent.

Mason would easily destroy her till there was nothing left but a shell of who she used to be. No, he was definitely not the right man for Elena. The only thing that Isobel Flemming wanted was the money that came with the Lockwood heritage. It was beyond disgusting. He despised Elena's aunt.

"Damon. Say something."

"What do you want me to say, ELena?" He breathed into her hair, trying to push his anger aside.

"I don't know."

He pulled back, stroking a strand of hair from her face, leaning his forehead against hers. She closed her eyes in contentment. The feeling of his skin against hers had always managed to calm her down – he'd always had that effect on her. They stayed still for a while, locked in one another's embrace, breathing together, enjoying the wind blowing, the trees singing around them.

"Tell your aunt to marry the Lockwood's son." Damon grinned devilishly as he glanced down at Elena, trying to lighten the mood.

A small smile formed on her lips as she carefully shoved her hand against his chest.

Damon smirked and shook his head at her playfulness.

"What am I supposed to do?" She backed out of his arms, shaking her head.

"Refuse." He said, simply shrugging his shoulders.

"You know I can't do that." She stared at the ground – memories coming back to haunt her. "You know what happened the last time I refused to fulfill her wishes."

"If she ever lays a hand on you again..." He growled.

"She won't hurt me."

"You have to tell me if she does."

"She won't. I promise." Elena looked him in the eyes. "You scared her last time."

"She deserved it." He said with honesty, remembering the day he'd caught Isobel whipping Elena's back with a leather belt.

The reason for Elena's unhuman punishment had been a cup of spilled mint tea that had been a gift from the Mayor's wife.

Damon had grabbed the elder woman's arm before she'd had the chance to swing the belt for the tenth time, stopping her cruel ministrations. He'd asked her 'what the hell she was doing'.

He'd threatened to go after her if she ever decided to treat Elena like that again. To his surprise, Isobel hadn't given Elena any new bruises lately – which was a good thing – but still, it scared him that Elena no longer had any chores to do. It was _suspicious_ to say the least.

Isobel Flemming might not be the brightest woman in town but she wasn't stupid either; she was planning to do more than arrange a marriage for her niece, Damon was sure of it. Somehow he had to find out what her plan was before she had a chance to put it in motion. He couldn't let anyone hurt his friend. It wasn't an option.

"I want a love that consumes me and a man who sweeps me off of my feet. If I am to marry another human being I want it to be someone who'll love me with his whole heart." Elena spun around.

"That kind of love doesn't exist." Damon said, making his way towards the lake with crystal clear water.

"You cease to believe that there's someone out there for you?" She waved her arms for dramatic effect. "You don't think that there's someone who's made for you and you only?"

"Nope." Damon bent his knees, swatting the water with his hand. "I can almost guarantee that there's no such thing as a soulmate."

"Not soulmate." She shook her head, kneeling down beside him, dipping her hand in the water. "Twinflame."

"Pfft." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Do you even know what a twinflame is?" She crossed her arms, pouting.

"Miss Gilbert, you've got my full attention. What's a twinflame?"

Elena stroked the strings of hair out of her face before she rose from her position. She started walking slowly around the clearing, Damon following her every step – watching her.

"A twinflame is your one true love. It's that one person who's made for you. Created for you, made to match you in every way that's possible." She paused, just to look over her shoulder and then continued to move her feet. "A twinflame is the part of you that you never knew was missing. It's a person you can't live without, it's someone who brings out your worst and best sides. It's someone you're beyond passionate with. His or hers body are made for earth shattering lovemaking because they're made for each other's pleasure. A twinflame is not just a random person that you fall in love with. You compliment one another. You're starcrossed and that one person becomes everything and more. Your safe haven. Your _home_."

When Elena turned around, Damon stared dumbfounded at her. His blue orbs confused and stormy with different emotions mixing with fear of the truth behind her words. She smiled softly, looking at him and frowned when she realized the saddened expression on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"You'll never have any of those things."

"Damon."

"It's just a fairytale, Elena. When you marry–"

"If I marry him–"

"W h e n, you marry Mason," Damon raised his voice. "When you marry Mason, you'll be viewed as his property – all women a viewed as property. Eveything you own will become his; including you and your body. You won't have a right to speak in public anymore. You won't be able to divorce him. You'll never be an author. He'll force himself inside you. He'll be the first man that touch you."

"Damon, don't." Elena gulped, her eyes watering.

"Rape and marital rape have no legal place in courts and many women live with domestic abuse."

"I'll flee and I'll need your help."


End file.
